McDonald's Seeks to Extend Opening Hours on Busy Cambridge Road
A McDonald's branch located along Newmarket Road in Cambridge has applied to extend its daily opening hours from 7am–11pm to 6am–11pm, adding an extra hour in the morning.
Previous Attempts and Current Proposal
This branch has previously tried to extend its opening hours but was refused twice. The new application, submitted by Savills on behalf of McDonald's, aims for the restaurant to operate seven days a week with earlier morning service.
Justification for Extended Hours
In a cover letter, Savills stated the extension is "not considered to result in any unacceptable impact" on nearby residents. It highlighted the diverse trading hours of neighboring businesses, noting:
“For example, Papa Johns is open until 3am each day of the week. This application simply seeks to extend the trading hours by an additional hour from that which is currently approved.”
“We therefore anticipate that the proposal is entirely acceptable in terms of the extra hour of operation in the early morning trading period as no complaints have been received.”
Customer Demand and Economic Benefits
Savills mentioned that the majority of customers visit during early morning hours, underlining the potential economic advantages of opening an hour earlier.
Summary
Extending McDonald's opening hours by an hour aims to meet customer demand without negatively affecting nearby residents, supported by examples of neighboring businesses' longer trading times.
Author’s Note
This application reflects a strategic move to boost local economic activity by accommodating earlier customer visits while addressing community impact concerns.